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Missa Corona spinea

Introduction

Taverner’s three festal Masses (Gloria tibi Trinitas, Corona Spinea and O Michael) represent a high point in the development of that uniquely English genre. Each is scored for six-part choir with the high trebles so characteristic of English music of this period, and is constructed over a cantus firmus. The occasion for which Corona Spinea was written cannot be identified with certainty, for while its title suggests a connection with the Feast of the Crown of Thorns, such an event is not known to have been widely considered of major importance in the Sarum calendar. The origin of the cantus firmus that provides its structural framework remains obscure, as does its date of composition; unlike Gloria tibi Trinitas, it does not form part of the original layer of part-books compiled for use at Cardinal College in the late 1520s, but was added somewhat later by a subsequent owner, William Forrest, a petty canon at the College. As the longest of Taverner’s settings, it was clearly conceived for an elaborate ceremony involving a large choir with boys of exceptional skill; the treble part is consistently more florid than the others.

Corona Spinea conforms with the established English tradition in that it comprises only four movements, a result of the Sarum rite’s custom of performing the Kyrie troped (that is, with the addition of extra words, according to season) to plainchant. Each movement is laid out to approximately the same length, the Sanctus and Agnus Dei containing more extensive melismatic writing than the Gloria and Credo (part of whose text is omitted, again following local convention). The cantus firmus is deployed in the tenor, where it provides the foundation both for a web of constantly shifting vocal colours in the full sections and also for some of the more delicately scored reduced-voice passages. As it invariably moves in longer note values, the cantus firmus often acts as a pedal point for the other voices to decorate with motivic material. While imitative writing plays a role of some significance especially in the more syllabic full sections, many of the intervening duets and trios are characterised by abstract figuration, sequential ostinato patterns that are sustained and unfolded over lengthy spans with a compelling logic unsurpassed by Taverner himself, and rarely to be found outside the works of Josquin.

Though the overall compass of Corona Spinea extends over the usual twenty-two notes, the disposition of the six voices differs from that of Taverner’s other two festal Masses. Instead of two countertenors, it has two bass parts of slightly different tessitura whose function is more often to support the cantus firmus than to participate fully in the imitative texture. Taverner was able to exploit the contrast between the top and bottom parts to spectacular effect at moments such as ‘Et expecto’ (Credo) and at the opening of the Agnus Dei I. The division of the trebles into two equal parts (a device known as gimel, after the Latin gemellus, twin) in the Benedictus creates an exquisite sonority, only surpassed by the double gimel (divided trebles and means) of Agnus Dei II, which, as in Gloria tibi Trinitas, seems to encapsulate the heart of the work.

Recordings

“The Missa Corona spinea is a kind of treble concerto, packed with mind-blowing sonorities. If ever there was music to exemplify Shakespeare’s ‘Music of the Spheres’, it is here. The first performance, probably in front of Henry VIII and Cardinal ...» More

When The Sixteen embarked upon their recording career back in 1982, few would have been able to predict quite how far they would go towards rehabilitating the little-known music of these four master composers of the 16th century. In this their 30t ...» More

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory. Lord God, king of heaven, God the Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Lord God, lamb of God, Son of the Father, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you only are holy. You only are Lord. You only are most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. We praise you. We bless you. We worship you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God the Father, O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.

You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you only are holy. You only are the Lord. You only are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

I believe in one God, Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all visible and invisible things. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, and was made man. He was also crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, he died and was buried. And on the third day he rose again according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven: he sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead: there will be no end to his kingdom. And I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, the almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, light from light, true God from true God. Begotten not made, of one being with the Father: through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the virgin Mary: and was made man. For our sake he was crucified: under Pontius Pilate he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures. He ascended into heaven: and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead: and his kingdom shall have no end. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.